President’s Blog: An Admission at the University

On the drive in to work this morning there was a radio
report about “Contract Cheating”, the pervasive availability of vendors of
college essays and assignments, enabling students to purchase products in order
to cheat at college. “TurnItIn”, the long established program
available to professors to counter academic dishonesty in forms of plagiarism
and cheating, is upping its data analytics to cope with ever more sophisticated
algorithms that have been developed to advance cheating. We have sadly
seen academic integrity as an at risk behavior of some students for time
immemorial. It is clear, however, that adults, vendors and universities
themselves are now capable of even more egregious and pernicious behavior
around college life and admissions.

Last month a
new Admissions scandal exploded in the US, leading to more than 50 individuals
and entities charged with bribery and corruption in securing undeserved places
in elite colleges for the children of the wealthy and famous, and scores of colleges
and universities anxiously reviewing their recruitment strategies.
Prestigious institutions of higher learning, for decades in the public
limelight over Admissions policies such as affirmative action and international
recruitment preferences, are now being scrutinized for corruption in Admissions
practices. “College admissions” is a phrase that since mid-March has been at
the forefront again of news articles, opinion pieces, blog posts. Within this
larger conversation, it is worthwhile to reflect on admissions here at Middle
Georgia State – and why removing barriers to attaining a degree is important.

In our role as
a state university within the University System of Georgia, we have a blended
function that allows us to offer students who enter at varying levels of
academic readiness the opportunity to a achieve a quality education. Our doors
are open perhaps a bit wider than those at other colleges and universities
around the country – and that’s a good thing. Education, after all, is not a
zero-sum game, and knowledge is not a capital resource of finite quantity.
Learning, rather, has a multiplier effect: as the overall education level in an
area increases, so too does the quality of life in that area. As aptly stated
by President John F. Kennedy, “a rising tide lifts all boats.“

This is not a
mere philosophical point. There are empirical, quantifiable benefits to an
educated population – both to the individual and to the society as a whole.
Workforce needs have shifted dramatically in the past decades, and the
percentage of jobs requiring a degree has consistently increased and will
continue to do so. An educated workforce has higher employment rates, higher
job satisfaction, and contributes to a more robust economy. It is my
opinion that universities and colleges would do well to embrace and demonstrate
the language of economic value, professional outcome and workforce strength
that is garnered by a university education.

Middle Georgia
State University’s acceptance rate last fall was roughly 87% – for every 100
students who wish to walk through our doors and seek a degree, we invite 87 to
complete their journey here. These students come from backgrounds as diverse
and varied as our nation. They enter with different levels of academic
readiness, from students who need a little extra help getting started on their
collegiate journey to those who join us with college credit already on the
books from AP, IB and dual-enrolled courses. To all of these students, we are
proud to say, “Welcome!”

Our tagline –
“Greatness starts here” – refers to the capacity for greatness that each person
carries within them as well as the capacity for greatness that we all share as
a community of people working together. Ensuring that education is something to
which more, not fewer, people have access is a goal that will help us all, as
members of that community, come closer to that goal.

As admissions
and registration for Fall 2019 continue, I challenge each of us to keep in mind
the need to provide access to students within our communities, our state, and
our nation. Greatness is a goal shared by many, both collectively and
individually. Numbering over 40,000 worldwide, our alumni are leaders and
professionals who are elevating their families and communities. They are
evidence that greatness is not just reserved for those that attended “elite”
universities – it is indeed open to all that wish to aspire to it and strive to
achieve it. And that the path to achieving that greatness is one that can
only be paved by integrity, transparency, equity and meritocracy.

On my office wall, I have a copy of a 1772 print from London, entitled The Hopes of the Family: An Admission at the University. It shows a nervous young man, being scrutinized and examined by pompous and mocking professors and administrators. It is a reminder of the exclusive and elitist culture that University education has for centuries communicated to the public. I am proud that our faculty and staff – and especially our hard-working Admissions staff – are ensuring that we provide a decent, humane, ethical and accessible route into MGA for those who would choose to experience their education and find their greatness here.